Weighing in on Jimmer Fredette

Lots of people are talking about Jimmer Fredette being over-hyped. ESPN bashed him all weekend, talking about what a bust he would be in the NBA.

Any player who can score 30 points regularly in Division 1 college basketball, like he has over the past few years, will probably be a first-round draft pick. He is a prolific scorer and shooter, but what will really allow him to excel in the NBA is not his shooting ability. Mike Penberthy was a really good shooter and was out of the league quickly. Shawn Respert was an AMAZING shooter, but that didn’t keep him in the league.

Fredette’s ability to score also won’t keep him in the league for a long time. Lots of scorers in college have flamed out in the NBA.

What will make Jimmer not as bad as people are predicting is his athleticism. Because he won’t be required to dominate 75 percent of his team’s possessions, he will be able to spend time working to become a better defender than pundits think. His athleticism will allow for improvement that wouldn’t be possible for less athletic players.

Jimmer fits the profile of a stereotypical non-athletic chucker. The only problem is that he is very athletic. He needs to improve his ball handling and defense, but his athleticism and drive make him capable of both. He’ll do just fine in the NBA. — OM